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It had been almost fourteen days to the day since Stacey O'Connerston had arrived in Egypt, and in the short time she had been in Atemu's Court,the moderate temperature she had surpressed had won the battle and played it's self on her cheeks raising her temperature from a moderate 98.9 to an alarming 103.9. Never wanting to waiver from her side,Atemu had been there continuously wiping her hot forehead and face with a thick cloth frequently submerged in a pail cold water kept cold with huge ice cubes. Each day that he sat by his friend-no Stacey was now more then his friend, she was his soul mate that he had waited through 3 marriages for. Though he had never married, Stacey married three times,first to Andrew a carriage driver who never came home and was found dead three nights later 3,000 miles away from his destination with his throat slashed and male anatomy surgically removed, then to Todd a Spell Binder-Magician's son who gave his life to protect his wife,three daughters and three sons all of whom were in their late teenage years at the time of his death then finally to an even tempered Irish Man named Shane O'Connersston who died of Pneumonia leaving behind 4-3 month olds for Stacey to raise on her own. He had wanted to wait for the traditional mourning time to pass before he proposed but he soon realized the sooner he got his soon to be adopted children away from the Highlands and out of the house that was falling apart around their ears,the better off they would be and he was right, all four children the boys Paidraig and Breandan and the girls Aisling and Caitlin were blossoming in both height and weight and were quickly adapting to their new home's customs and clothing. Every day that Atemu sat beside Stacey,wiping her hot,flushed face, her temperature slowly dropped two degrees until at last on the twelfth night the fever lost strength and broke in the midst of the night. Exhausted from being up all night and refusing to go to sleep,Atemu had fallen asleep slumped over in his chair stretched uncomfortably with his upper body on the bed head on Stacey 's stomach and his lower body still in the chair and his right hand tightly grasping her left hand. By dawn on the fifteenth day,Stacey's eyes were starting to struggle to open, bit by bit her midnight blue eyes slowly adjusted to the long forgotten light of dawn.

Stacey slowly opens her eyes and feels an unusual weight on top of her and turns her head to see Atemu soundly sleeping in the most uncomfortable position and thinks: Poor boy, has he been here the whole time? I should have listened and stayed in bed when the fever first showed itself, but instead I went about the normal routine until I could barely stand up! But this fever acted differently then any I have had before, it didn't act the way fevers normally do and I had no inclination I was even sick until I---passed out in the Throne Room! It hit all at once! Well I guess I had better let him know I'm awake or should I just let him sleep on? He looks so cute when he's asleep! Yes I better let him know I woke up again. (Tightens her grip on Atemu's hand until his eyes started to force themselves open)

Atemu feels Stacey's once limp hand squeezing his right hand and quickly awakens switching from the chair to the spot beside her saying: You're awake! It's been too long since you've been awake! How are you feeling?! You've been out for fifteen days!

Stacey faintly replies: Still tired and weak. fifteen days? I was out for fifteen days? It seems like yesterday I passed out... the longest I have ever been out is three to four days but never fifteen days straight.

Atemu brushes Stacey's blonde bangs out of her eyes and says: Don't you dream of moving, I'm going to get the doctor to come check you over! (Lets go of Stacey's hand,gets up off the bed and head for the door opening it and stepping out to go find Neil who had stayed at the palace for the duration of Stacey's fever and returned a few minutes later saying to Neil) She just woke up a few minutes ago, isn't fifteen days too long for a fever to linger?! Somehow I fear this isn't a normal fever that had Caitlin in it's grasp.

Neil: You may be right, she's had magic fevers before but none that lasted almost fifteen days. I too have magic in my blood and have had fevers enduced by my magic as it matured,but they only lasted three to four days, after her last battle she DID develope alot of enemies but I doubt any of them have the ability to force a fever to linger for fifteen days...except the Mage....

Atemu: The WHO?!

Neil: Her final battle to regain her memories was against a Black Mage, nasty person could control anyone with a snap of his fingers, she was given the ultimatum of forefitting the battle or....

Atemu: Or What?!

Mahado approaches and stands beside Neil saying: Or else kill her brother Anthony whom the Mage used as a sheild to protect himself.

Neil: That was an unforgivable offense, using her brother as a bartering chip in his plot to destroy the world.

Atemu: She didn't kill Anthony did she?

Neil: No, Stacey's magic won't allow her to kill her own family, instead it went through Anthony and killed the Mage. Tweny three years ago it was the other way around. When Stacey was young a battle ensued in her kingdom and the Mage who then was a Black Sorcerer grabbed her on his way out the gates. No one knew what had become of her and Anthony swore to find her again. It took ten years to relocate her again but her memories were gone. She didn't remember a thing about who she really was or where she really came from. Her adoptive parents--the Dorings--had lost their own daughter in a boat accident and seen Stacey lying on the side walk that lead to a path to no where but an open field. She'd been knocked out with a hard blow to the head, the only clues to her Royal Upbringing were her cape and her clothes and the gold band that was held in place on her head by a gold hair ribbon with red stripes. Anthony was supposed to be killed by the Mage's eldest son in a riding accident, but the son hadn't counted on Anthony's superior riding skills and knowledge of the riding grounds. The only thing Anthony recieved was a sore back side after being tossed from his Stallion. (Takes a deep breath then says) I guess I had better go check my sister over and ensure no harm has been done as a result of this fever, though I do issue a warning, Anthony is on his way through the Magic Gates and has alot of questions that need answers and I do hope your ready for him.

Atemu: If I can handle your father, I can handle Anthony.

Neil opens the door to the Royal Bed Chamber and shuts it behind him and walks over to the bed and sits down saying: How're you feelin since you woke up? Fifteen days of you being out of commision is worrysome,father's very upset and worried about you.

Stacey: I'm still a bit groggy,tired,weak and my throat is killing me! It appears I have had the entire Palaces in an uproar when I became sick. One minute I am going around the Throne Room picking up after the kids the next I lost consciousness and blacked out. To me it feels like yesterday that I passed out, it does not seem like fifteen days at all.

Neil opens his black bag and pulls out his stethoscope,lowers the blanket on Stacey's chest and opens her night shirt saying: Now hush and let me listen to your breathing. (Listens carefully to Stacey's breathing then says)You're wheezing, your chest is clogged up, I was hoping to find out that your bronchial tubes were clear but it sounds like they're clogged up with gunk. (Removes his stethoscope and puts it back in his bag and pulls out his light and tongue depresser and says) Now open and let me see your throat (Shines his light down Stacey's throat and says) Uh-huh no wonder you're coughing! Your throat is red and raw and it's infected! I'll have to put you on strong antibiotics to clear up the infection before it becomes worse. Now all I want you to do is rest,and take these antibiotics three times a day and rest! I don't need you getting worse and keep away from the kids until the all clear is given! In two weeks time, I'll come back and draw more blood and compare it to the blood I'm going to take before I leave. Before I forget, Anthony is on his way to see you, father couldn't get away from Palace business and he'll be coming later on in the day or perhaps maybe even tomorrow. (Reaches inside his medic bag and pulls out a tourniquet and wraps it around Caitlin's arm tightly then pulls out a needle and syring and sterile wipe and wipes down her arm then feels the vein and pricks her arm pushing the needle into the vein and begins to draw blood stopping at ten viles then removes the needle pressing a cotton ball against the small hole and wraps a long strip of cloth around her arm tying it tightly saying) I know ten viles is alot of blood but the more blood I have of yours, the better the chance of finding out what caused you to collapse. (Looks up at the sound of the door opening and says) It looks like Anthony's here to see you, so I'll be on my merry way. Just rest and take the medication the way I've written it down, but with Atemu here, I doubt he'll allow you to skip taking it. So I'll start you off right now with the first eight pills every three to four hours three times a day for three weeks. Here (Hands Stacey the first eight pills and a glass of cool fresh water and says) take these now then in four hours, AFTER EATING, I want you to take the next eight pills, they're strong so when you start to catch yourself dozing off, don't fight it! Let the sleep take over, the more you rest, the better chance these antibiotics have of fighting the infection and forcing it to clear up. (Stands up and gathers up all his belongings and quickly leaves the room to allow his brother his time with their sister)

Anthony quickly walks over to the bed and slides down beside Caitlin saying: I have been worried SICK about you! Fifteen days and no word from you? No visits? No letters? I had no idea you were THIS sick! I thought you had your hands full with the kids and didn't have much time to drop me a line! But I never thought you'd be sick with a stubborn fever for fifteen days! Father will be here to see the kids then to see you later this afternoon, he's tied up in affairs of the Palace. How're you feeling? I can see you're trying to keep awake so I won't keep you awake much longer.

Stacey faintly smiles and says: At the moment, I am exhausted. I am having a hard time keeping awake. I know I should eat but, honestly? I'm not the least bit hungry yet. I am doubtful I can even get anything down since I have an infected sore throat. Neil started me on a routine of strong antibiotics to clear the infection up. He gave me eight pills to take before he left. Eight pills every four hours for three weeks.

Anthony heaves a sigh and says: Neil DOES know what's best, he did go to Medical School and he is the doctor of the family so he knows what he's doing. (Notices that Stacey had dozed off,stands up,pulls the blankets up around her throat and kisses her bangs saying) I'll be back in three weeks to see you so I won't come down with what you have. Rest easy and I'll see you in three weeks.